I know the seeds are the most poisonous part of the plant,
but the stems/leaves (and presumably roots) are as well.

Is "Castor Oil" made from that plant, as the name implies?

I ask, because during WW I, many aircraft engines, "rotary engines,"
were lubricated with Castor Oil, which was pumped overboard rather
than recirculated. Pilots could not avoid ingesting the stuff.

In their memoirs, many wrote of the problems caused by the laxative
properties of the oil, but none of them seem to have been poisoned by
it.

Can anyone explain this?

Thanks. vince norris

vincent p. norris wrote:

I know the seeds are the most poisonous part of the plant,
but the stems/leaves (and presumably roots) are as well.


Is "Castor Oil" made from that plant, as the name implies?

I ask, because during WW I, many aircraft engines, "rotary engines,"
were lubricated with Castor Oil, which was pumped overboard rather
than recirculated. Pilots could not avoid ingesting the stuff.

In their memoirs, many wrote of the problems caused by the laxative
properties of the oil, but none of them seem to have been poisoned by
it.

Can anyone explain this?

Thanks. vince norris

The poison, ricin, is a protein. It is not really soluble in oil.

I also think the castor bean plants would be safe to compost [original
poster's question] because the ricin would quickly biodegrade just like any
other protein.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote in message ...
vincent p. norris wrote:

I know the seeds are the most poisonous part of the plant,
but the stems/leaves (and presumably roots) are as well.


Is "Castor Oil" made from that plant, as the name implies?


Yes. It is pressed from the seeds.




I ask, because during WW I, many aircraft engines, "rotary engines,"
were lubricated with Castor Oil, which was pumped overboard rather
than recirculated. Pilots could not avoid ingesting the stuff.

Castrol brand motor oil does, or at least at one time did, have castor
oil in it

The Italian Fascists would dose their opponents with castor oil to
give them explosive diarrhea and then march them through the streets
to
humiliate them.



J. Del Col

vincent p. norris wrote in message . ..
I know the seeds are the most poisonous part of the plant,
but the stems/leaves (and presumably roots) are as well.

Is "Castor Oil" made from that plant, as the name implies?

I ask, because during WW I, many aircraft engines, "rotary engines,"
were lubricated with Castor Oil, which was pumped overboard rather
than recirculated. Pilots could not avoid ingesting the stuff.

In their memoirs, many wrote of the problems caused by the laxative
properties of the oil, but none of them seem to have been poisoned by
it.

Can anyone explain this?


The ricin is deactivated by cooking the beans before the oil is
pressed from them.


J. Del Col